CMS designates certain procedures as inpatient-only and identifies them using CPT codes. Hospitals normally only use CPT codes for outpatient coding, so this may be confusing for coders who use ICD-9-CM Volume 3 codes for inpatient procedures. Coders need to know which procedures are on the inpatient-only list to monitor compliance with this rule as they apply inpatient procedure codes.
Even organizations with sound policies, procedures, training, and safeguards can experience a breach. When?not if?a breach occurs, traditional insurance may not be enough to cover the damages. Ensuring that your organization has adopted the appropriate cyber insurance can be valuable in the event of a breach.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced December 8, 2014 that it fined an Alaska behavioral health service $150,000 for potential HIPAA violations. OCR entered into a resolution agreement with Anchorage Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS), a nonprofit behavioral healthcare service, per the announcement (see www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/examples/acmhs/amchs-capsettle...).
Beginning January 1, 2015, physicians will no longer need to provide certification for an inpatient admission unless the admission is expected to last for at least 20 days or the case is an outlier.
Coding for sepsis requires a strong knowledge of ICD-9-CM coding guidelines, as well as complete and accurate documentation. That's not a surprise to any coding professional. They need those two elements to successfully code any medical record.
